Appendix C 



2003 Ice Chart Reception Project 



MST2 Jonathan Dale 

 LT Scott Stoermer 



During the 2003 ice season the 

 International Ice Patrol (IIP) requested that 

 mariners return ice charts received via high 

 frequency (HF) weather fax (WEFAX) while at 

 sea. The charts where then analyzed and 

 studied in an effort to gain a better 

 understanding of the reception quality as well 

 as geographic extent of dissemination of our 

 product. 



IIP strives to continually improve the 

 quality of the product provided to the North 

 Atlantic mariner. In years past, IIP has 

 conducted similar surveys of WEFAX 

 reception. Through ongoing studies of our HF 

 product, we hope to gain a better understanding 

 of its use, its quality and how it might be 

 improved. 



The ice chart is a major navigational aid 

 used and trusted by many North Atlantic 

 mariners. The chart depicts the Limit of All 

 Known Ice (LAKI) for mariners' use in voyage 

 planning as well as underway decisions 

 regarding ship tracking. It was requested that 

 the mariner return any charts received via 

 WEFAX, noting reception time, reception 

 location and frequency of receipt. IIP monitors 

 every ice chart broadcast from Groton with its 

 own HF receiver and WEFAX software. 

 Unfortunately, HP's position relative to the 

 transmitting antennae makes the reception, 

 more often that not, poor. Consequently, IIP 

 considers its HF reception capability as only a 

 check of the fact that the ice chart is being 

 transmitted, not its quality. So, IIP is more 

 interested in how the product is received by 

 vessels operating in the North Atlantic, 



During the 2003 season, IIP received 82 

 ice charts from 14 different vessels (Table 1). 



Ice charts from all over the Atlantic Ocean 

 where received. In an effort to gain better 

 understanding of HF propagation in our area of 

 responsibility, we narrowed the area of study to 

 the region bounded by 39°N, 52°N, 35°W and 

 64°W. 



Based on the returned charts, the quality 

 of reception was divided into five categories as 

 shown in Figure 1 . Category 1 included charts 

 with the best reception. Category 2 represented 

 good reception, and Category 3 consisted of 

 charts with fair reception. Category 4 included 

 charts from which the date and LAKI were 

 barely readable and Category 5 reception 

 included charts considered useless to the 

 mariner. Figure 2 displays chart reception 

 position, frequency and quality. 



REPORTING VESSELS 



BERGE NORD 



BLACK SWAN 



CSK GRANDEUR SINGAPORE 



FEDERAL HUDSON 



KAPITONAS A LUCKA 



LYDIA OLDENDORFF 



MATTEA 



OCEAN FAVOUR 



OFFENBACH 



P&O NEDLLOYD AUCKLAND 



PEARL MAR 



PRIDE 



SEA LAND PERFORMANCE 



STAR IKEBANA 



STAR SAVANNAH 



TOFTON 



Table 1. Listing of vessels returning ice charts 

 in 2003. 



48 



